Linkin Park's Chester Bennington joins Stone Temple Pilots
 
pic

Pendock Uncorked

South Africa's leading independent drinks commentator…
 

Sir David Tang bashes Bow Ties

Posted: June 30th, 2012 | By Neil Pendock


After last week’s Fine Brandy Fusion Festival, it was interesting to see today’s attack on bow ties in the Weekend Financial Mail by Sir David Tang, no slouch in the sartorial stakes.  As the festival is one of the many exhibitions organized or owned by Bacchanalian entrepreneur Michael Fridjhon whose exotic bowties brighten many a winelands celebration.  Are fashions changing?

On their way out?

Q: What is your view on bow ties? They seem to be well regarded in the US but not much in evidence in Europe.

A: Bow ties look ridiculous, unless you are either Bob Hope or Robin Day who looked ridiculous – the former with a hockey-stick chin, and the latter with Bavarian eyebrows. Bow ties are also rather effeminate, as they look exactly like a butterfly. Why would any real man wish to wear a butterfly round his collar?

 

  
 
 

Comments

 

David S. Eley

June 30, 2012 at 12:52 pm

Well… according to your post today, Sir David really is in a pickle: hopefully, with a little help from his friends he might somehow read this… and retract ?

When Sir David, an ardent anglophile who accepted a knighthood from Her Majesty, was penning his casual dismissal of the bowtie, and in your quotation above, proclaiming it ‘effeminate’ – did he not pause to consider the most famous fan of said sartorial accessory ? Sir Winston Churchill’s trademark was the bowtie, so too was he the Queen’s favourite Priminister. We might soon have the unfortunate headline “Sir David Tang proclaims Sir Winston Churchill effeminate”… now that really will have a ‘butterfly effect’ on his career and standing in British social circles… don’t you think ?

The man who helped save the world from the tyranny of Adolf Hitler… our greatest wartime leader…. was effeminate !… one of our FT agony aunt’s more doubtful assertions methinks…. of course, the real reason for this anti-bowtie outburst could well be the simple fact that Sir David lacks the dexterity to tie one !! Here he is offering a little sartorial advice to Queen Elizabeth http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tra.....-hell.html

 

Mr Chow

June 30, 2012 at 5:34 pm

Winston sat in bath dictating opus on 2nd World War to male secretary perchen on lavatory? If that not ***, what is?

 

Mrs Chow

July 2, 2012 at 1:46 am

This not true, it Mr Chow who sit on lavatory in outhouse at end of garden for long time reading Financial Times column of Sir David Tang. Very bad boy :(

 

Jan Laubscher

July 3, 2012 at 1:22 pm

“Bow Ties” these days = hipster

 

Peregrine Postlethwaite

July 8, 2012 at 10:37 am

My dear Mr Laubscher, splendidly put…. it would seem Sir David Tang is probably in need of a ‘hip’ replacement, hardly surprising at his age….

Leave a Comment




 

  • About

    Called "South Africa's most influential wine writer" by DrinksBiz (NZ), a "wijngoeroe" and "beminnelijk maar snoeihard" by De Telegraaf, a "Master of SA Writing" by Ernst Gouws and voted “most trusted palate” by readers of WINE magazine, Neil Pendock is South Africa’s leading Indie drinks commentator.

    An "enthusiastic amateur", he owns a small farm on the Paardeberg which used to supply a few grapes to Swartland Winery, a producer he never wrote about. After two decades in the spittoon, he retains a healthy disregard for the anoraks, bowties and Emperors of drink and their new clothes.